basskit_case Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 Just received a bass that I bought from eBay, and it could do with a bit of clean and polish. I was wondering if anybody could recommend something suitable, I know alot of the guitar brands produce guitar specific cleaners/polishes for which you pay a premium, anything cheaper/better around? Thanks Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 Lemon oil. It's not very cheap but you don't need a lot - a little really does go a long way. It's brings grime and sweat straight out and leaves your bass with a nice glossy look and smelling of lemons! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 Lemon Oil is good but to be fair any cheap cleaner on EBay will set you back less than a fiver. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DUNLOP-65-GUITAR-POLISH-AND-CLEANER-1FL-OZ-/350353320086?pt=UK_Guitar_Accessories&hash=item5192af6896"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DUNLOP-65-GUITAR-POL...=item5192af6896[/url] seems pretty common and I am sure you will get a big improvement for just £3.50 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 If it is a thick poly finish, T-cut for cars is fine for the body. Rosewood and other oily wood fingerboards get the lemon oil. What sort of finish is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basskit_case Posted October 26, 2010 Author Share Posted October 26, 2010 [quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='1001511' date='Oct 26 2010, 06:35 PM']If it is a thick poly finish, T-cut for cars is fine for the body. Rosewood and other oily wood fingerboards get the lemon oil. What sort of finish is it?[/quote] It is a fretless bass collection 330, with a translucent green finish. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbyrne Posted October 27, 2010 Share Posted October 27, 2010 I've always used car polish, but sparingly as it's mildly abrasive - I'd have thought T-Cut might be just a bit aggressive. Car polish doesn't show the fingerprints so badly as a softer domestic polish. G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted October 27, 2010 Share Posted October 27, 2010 [quote name='geoffbyrne' post='1002292' date='Oct 27 2010, 12:20 PM']I've always used car polish, but sparingly as it's mildly abrasive - I'd have thought T-Cut might be just a bit aggressive. Car polish doesn't show the fingerprints so badly as a softer domestic polish. G.[/quote] If it is just dirty, a damp cloth cleaning will sort it. If it is actually properly beat up and grim (like stuff I work on) that is t-cut time. Important thing with car and domestic (mr. sheen) type polish is keep it well away from any bare wood, it will cause troubles due to silicone contamination, think of the future. In fact, keep it away from the electrics too, googling for some finish wrecked by contamination pics found stuff about it spoiling contacts too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Heeley Posted October 27, 2010 Share Posted October 27, 2010 Been using 3M imperial hand glaze for the plast 5 years - marvellous stuff, no silicones, no residue, just a gentle clean and a great polish finish. They use theis stuff on vintage cars I am told and Patrick Eggle told me to use it as the best thing for guitar bodies - acoustic & electric. I'd stay clear of lemon oil as you never really know what you're getting - most are naphtha based (lighter fluid) plus lemon fragrance and can take the surface off a paint and remove the natural oil from the wood unless you use really sparingly, when it makes a great degreaser. I'd certainly stay clear of t-cut as you will leave a load of tiny scratches in the surface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casapete Posted October 27, 2010 Share Posted October 27, 2010 Fender do a box of guitar care stuff, 'Fender Instrument Care Kit' containing 3 products - 'mist&wipe', 'swirl&haze remover' and 'polish&conditioner'. Had mine for over 3 years and still loads left. Excellent kit for most eventualities! Think they're around £20. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted October 27, 2010 Share Posted October 27, 2010 I was in the workshop of a well known UK luthier a while back. There was a can of Pledge sitting around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basskit_case Posted October 28, 2010 Author Share Posted October 28, 2010 [quote name='EssentialTension' post='1002466' date='Oct 27 2010, 02:06 PM']I was in the workshop of a well known UK luthier a while back. There was a can of Pledge sitting around.[/quote] Thanks for the info peeps, much appreciated, got myself some Dunlop 65 and Peavey Axe Wax to start, will see how I get on. Thinking I will clean it up with the 65 and polish up with the Axe Wax. However ET's reply does make me wonder if I am worying unduly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 (edited) Most car polishes are too coarse; as Al Heeley says, a 3m polishing compound is probably a good place to start. I use a tub of stuff from a commercial polyester finishers. If you are looking for a more "off the shelf" good polishing solution, then I would recommend the Clover basses polishing system. 4 bottles from coarse to fine polishing. I wouldn't recommend using all 4 bottles all the time because most of the time you'll only need the 2 finer cutting compounds... but a good seeing to with all 4 bottles on a tired looking bass can work wonders. I have used it and bought a "satin" high gloss bass back from the dead to like new. Just takes a lot of elbow grease and patience.... or a few minutes with a polishing mop! Edited October 28, 2010 by EBS_freak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceH Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 For future reference, those bass collections are poly finishes (very nice ones actually), hard as anything and chemically inert. T cut would be fine I'm sure or just normal domestic polish. Those lemon oil-type polishes (I think they're really just a particular grade of mineral oil) are more usefulfor guitars that lack a thick lacquer-type coating, like on the rosewood fretboard of your SB330. Great bass by the way, is yours fretted or fretless? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retroman Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 I've always used Autoglym Super Resin Polish on both nitro cellulose, and poly finishes with excellent results. Have been using it my basses for at least 15 years with no problems. If I have any fine scratches to polish out, I use 3M Finesse It, which is a very fine cutting compound, and far superior/ kinder than T Cut. T Cut contains amonia, so would give a wide bearth. For rose wood fret boards, I've been using Dunlop Lemon Oil for a while, with good results Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 [quote name='EssentialTension' post='1002466' date='Oct 27 2010, 02:06 PM']I was in the workshop of a well known UK luthier a while back. There was a can of Pledge sitting around.[/quote] Same here. Lavender scented variety for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted November 7, 2010 Share Posted November 7, 2010 [quote name='nick' post='1004360' date='Oct 28 2010, 07:51 PM']Same here. Lavender scented variety for me. [/quote] Same here... the lemon variety smells too much like Toilet Duck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shylock Posted December 16, 2012 Share Posted December 16, 2012 (edited) I know an old thread but I would just like to endorse Pledge Wood Polish Lavender. I bought a Gibson T'Bird in July and was getting fed up with being unable to get rid of the cloudiness, in certain light, caused by my right hand on the body using known brand guitar polish. 'Googling' this issue, and refusing to pay £20 for 50ml of supposedly specialist guitar polish, I came across a tip to use Pledge Wood Furniture Polish (not All Purpose) I bought a 300ml can for about £3 for Asda and now after about 3 months I can report it works! Lovely polish and smells nice to boot! Important to spray on cloth and not the guitar though. Also buy large all cotton muslin squares for cleaning. I bought a 55cm x 55cm in pink (to match inside of my guitar case) for £3.75 inc postage off e-bay. Excellent for wiping down strings or general polishing. Edited December 16, 2012 by Shylock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 (edited) Sorry to disagree Shylock, but don't EVER use spray polish - on anything. I come from a background of making furniture. If you use a spray polish you get a bloom-finish on the instrument (or furniture) that can't be re-lacqured. If you ever need to respray an instrument that's been sprayed with polish, you have to completely strip the existing lacqure to get rid of the finish that will resist the new lacquer spray. Always use beeswax on instuments or furniture. It's easier to strip off later and leave the lacquer that can be rubbed down and sprayed or waxed again. When buying beeswax, be careful too about the one you buy. I've come across some that are abrasive too. Abrasive is ok for wood finish, but for the likes of a black fender body you need a good smooth wax. A good car wax would probably be good - again made for a situation where you may want to strip and re-spray. Edited December 17, 2012 by Grangur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmachine2112 Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 [i]Rickenbacker used to use turtle wax kid you not and it would not surprise me if they still do.[/i] [i]next time you wash the car use the waxing wash stuff and put your bass on a stand next to the car and do both together[/i] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shylock Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 (edited) Thanks Grangor. This is the link I found endorsing the use of Lemon Pledge for Nitro Celluose finishes [url="http://www.cbguitars.com/finish_care.htm"]http://www.cbguitars/finish_care.htm[/url] I do not spray direct onto the wood but you seem to say do use at all. Does seem to work for me and has reduced the cloudiness but I will explore beeswax and see how that measures up. Edited December 17, 2012 by Shylock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iiipopes Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 (edited) All the folks on RickResource.com, and even on the Gibson site, now recommend Zymol. My Gibson J-45 accidentally experienced some pick thrash from a friend, and the Zymol made it all but invisible. [url="http://www.premierbodyshops.co.uk/zymol/zymolshop.htm"]http://www.premierbo...l/zymolshop.htm[/url] Edited December 17, 2012 by iiipopes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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